As is the case with all the other members of the genus, the sexes present a marked difference in their
colouring, the female being destitute o f those adornments of the head and neck and the deep grey and
chestnut o f the under surface which render the male so remarkable.
The male has the head and upper surface o f an olivaceous brown, with a lighter stripe down the centre
of the head ; some of the feathers of the back have light-coloured shafts; and nearly all the feathers of the
upper surface are crossed near the tip with a band of black, which, being divided by the light-coloured
shaft, has the appearance of double sp o ts; these are largest or most conspicuous on the centre of the back
and on the feathers of the wings nearest the body; forehead, stripe over the eye and the sides of the neck,
breast, and flanks deep bluish grey; chin and throat deep black, within which, beneath each eye, a
moustache-like streak of white; below the black, a crescent of white, the points o f which are directed
upwards behind the eye, encircling this a narrow line o f black; centre of the abdomen, vent and under
tail-coverts rich deep chestnut-red ; tail-feathers mixed chestnut and g rey ; bill black ; irides deep brown;
legs bright yellow.
The female is similar in the colouring and markings of the upper surface, but is darker on the head, has
the forehead and stripe over the eye buff instead of grey, the chin white (passing into a gorget o f buff on
the breast), and all the under surface pale buff crossed with numerous crescentic bars of brownish black.
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size. The plant is the Ariopsis peltata.